On August 12, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes several provisions that will reduce the costs of health care for millions of cancer patients and survivors.

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 will help lower Medicare enrollees’ Part D prescription drug costs by capping their out-of-pocket costs while ensuring 13 million limited- and middle-income Americans continue to receive expanded tax credits to help purchase insurance from the Marketplace for at least three more years.

American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) President Lisa Lacasse released a statement in support of the final passage of the Inflation Reduction Act and noted that it marks one of the most significant extensions of affordable health coverage to millions of Americans, including cancer patients, survivors, and their families, in more than a decade. She also noted the continued need for Congress and state legislatures to close the Medicaid coverage gap.

“Evidence has shown repeatedly that health insurance status directly affects a person’s ability to detect, treat and survive cancer, which is why it is so critically important that Congress and state legislatures swiftly turn their attention to closing the Medicaid coverage gap,” she said. “For the 2 million people who remain uninsured in the dozen states that have not expanded access to Medicaid—the majority of whom are people of color— lack of access to meaningful, affordable coverage could be the difference between life and death. The coverage gap is resulting in a tradeoff of having access to a timely doctor-recommended cancer screening and early disease detection or going without and discovering cancer when it is advanced and much harder to treat.”

Lacasse further stated, “We thank the House for the quick action in support of the Inflation Reduction Act and the bill’s important health provisions. We eagerly await the president’s signature of this landmark legislation and look forward to continuing to find ways to expand access to affordable health coverage nationwide.”

See the full press statement for further details and ACS CAN’s response to the bill.